A Man Forgotten
by Sir Zesto
Summary: He has been overshadowed by the Sannin, the White Fang, the Yellow Flash, and many more. However, Konohagakure is the only one who has forgotten him, for the world never shall. He is a man forgotten by his village...but they will remember him now whether they like it or not. Strong!OC Strong!Konoha 11 Eventual OP!Sakura (Rating for mild language and lots of violence)


**A/N: Welcome to my fourth story! This was originally published a while back, but I didn't like how I started it so fast. Instead, I chose to rewrite the first chapter and go from there, taking a slower approach that I am more familiar with. I apologize to anyone who enjoyed the first chapter, but it really made it difficult for me to visualize where I would take the story next. Anyway, enough of that! On with the show!**

* * *

**Necessary Changes**

Six-year-old Uzumaki Naruto was currently very confused. His day had started out great. He had started the Konohagakure Ninja Academy today, beginning his path to becoming the Hokage. Yesterday, the old man had given him his own apartment with running water, appliances, and even his own bed! He was happy to finally be out of the orphanage, especially considering how miserable the matron had tried to make him. However, as with most things in young Naruto's life, the good day steadily got worse.

His Academy teacher, Murata-sensei, had immediately dismissed him from the classroom when he asked a question about the Nidaime Hokage. After that, he had tried to get into a different class. However, a patrolling Anbu had found him during his aimless wandering of the halls and taken him to the Hokage. Now, Naruto was treated to a very interesting sight. His jiji, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, Professor, and God of Shinobi, was cowering behind his desk. In front of it stood a very unique-looking man. His hair resembled a flame in both color and shape, and it was currently swaying in some unfelt breeze. Naruto merely assumed it was some secret ninja power thing that he would learn one day. After all, only a super-strong shinobi could make his jiji, the most powerful shinobi in the entire village, act like a scared genin. The stranger's eyes were a sharp amber, piercing Naruto's very soul from beneath a pair of bushy, orange brows. A cropped beard with a single streak of white splitting down the middle hung from his chiseled jaw, giving him the overall appearance of a powerful, seasoned warrior.

"Hiruzen, this is unacceptable!" roared the man, smashing his weathered fist onto the Mokuton-infused table. The ancient furniture groaned under the powerful strike but held firm. "Why has the quality of our shinobi forces dropped so significantly? The Academy teachers were completely unaware of my presence, meaning that if the Anbu were otherwise occupied, I could easily slip past them. The backdoors of the village are completely unsupervised, except for a single Anbu agent. And lastly, the shinobi walking around never once stopped to question me, despite the fact that my weapons were clearly visible without any clearance markings or forehead protector. The only safe place is the gate, which is watched by two of my former students!" As the rant continued, the Hokage had continued to slowly shrink in on himself.

"We were in peacetime…I thought it unnecessary to keep the same rigid standards at the Academy and in training then we previously required. Especially considering the fact that we have people such as Kakashi who have been mentally scarred because of his young age," explained the Hokage, his confidence slowly growing. However, it completely disappeared at the sudden growl from the furious man before him.

"You know that is a load of…" The man turned to Naruto, stopping himself for the sake of the boy's innocent ears. He sighed and turned back, some of his rage dissipating. "You know that is false logic, Hiruzen. What happens if you are suddenly invaded or thrust into a war? Your forces will be completely unprepared to defend Konohagakure. The jōnin are supposed to be teaching the genin that are no longer in teams, the chūnin are taught weekly by the corps instructor, and the jōnin are responsible enough to continue honing their own skills." Hiruzen nodded meekly, realizing the state that Konoha was in. To be honest, he had merely been trying to pad out the shinobi forces after the Kyūbi attack. He had lowered the graduation standards to those of wartime, removed all but the basics from the Academy, and also removed the position of chūnin instructor from the forces altogether. This was to encourage civilians to enroll more children in the Academy. However, he had only recently begun to realize the fallacy of his logic. Whenever he attempted to change it, though, the civilians would boycott it by removing their students from the Academy. He realized this all in the span of ten seconds before he refocused on the man before him, whose eyes had softened considerably.

"You are only sending these people to their deaths, Hiruzen," he revealed, causing the old man's breath to hitch. "They are not prepared for what the world is going to throw at them. I have seen the rigorous training regimens of both Suna and Kumo. We do not stack up. Their newly-minted genin could take on most of our seasoned chūnin with only minor difficulty. Kumo trains all their genin in lightning jutsu and kenjutsu, while Suna focuses on wind manipulation and specialized weapon training. And with my recent reforms, they have included much more in their base programs. And yet, I come back to find that our own standards have dropped significantly." The Hokage merely continued to allow himself to be subjected to the man's wrath. Naruto, who had been watching all of the proceedings with amazement, decided to interject.

"Jiji? Murata-sensei kicked me outta class," stated the young boy before he nearly wet himself from the instantaneous pressure he felt. He had felt jiji's before when he came in bruised from the minor beatings that drunks would occasionally give him, but never on this level. What really added to the overall fear, though, was the addition of the strange man's potent chakra spiking through the roof. Naruto had learned about chakra from Hiruzen but had never actually seen it. Amber tendrils of energy whipped around the incensed man, his hair waving wildly like a tongue of fire. However, it left quickly, replaced by a sorrowful gaze on the man's leathery face. He walked over slowly and knelt in front of the small blonde, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hello, young one. I'm sorry if I scared you," he apologized, giving the Academy student a gentle smile. "I am Kohaku Genkotsu, and I just came back from a very long trip around the Elemental Nations." He stood back and ruffled the child's spiky hair, marveling at both its softness and the giggle that it elicited. "I will take you back to the Academy. I am _sure_ I can convince your teacher to change his mind about you being in his classroom." With that, Genkotsu walked the small boy out of the office, leaving a stunned Hokage to pray for the safety of his teaching staff when met by the angry visage of one Kohaku Genkotsu.

* * *

Murata loved his job. Ever since the Third had lowered the standards of the Academy, many more chūnin had been able to secure positions within the Academy as classroom and assistant teachers. It paid well and had little to no risk in comparison to the standard B-Rank missions that most chūnin took on. Murata, however, had wanted to join solely for the purpose of training the next generation of Konoha's shinobi. That was why he had ordered the demon child to leave. How dare it try to show up the innocent, eager-to-learn children! After all, thoughts like that were necessary to clear one's conscience when a six-year-old boy stares up at you with childlike confusion and teary eyes. Murata banished those thoughts from his mind and refocused on the students as they continued in their pop quiz.

He had gotten a great class this year. He only taught the first-year basics, but he always loved to see the eagerness on the innocent faces, knowing that he would not be the one to take away their innocence. And yet, this class was unlike any of its kind within the last few decades. It held all of the major clan heirs: Aburame, Akimichi, Hyūga, Inuzuka, Nara, Uchiha, and Yamanaka. There was also the daughter of the affluent civilian Haruno clan that had migrated from the western continent a few decades after the creation of Konohagakure. They had churned out some unique shinobi during their time in the village, but nothing too spectacular in the shinobi community had been attributed to them. All in all, Murata could say with confidence that he was living the good life.

"I will see him right now!" raged a faint voice from outside the room, followed by the frantic warnings of an assistant teacher before the sliding door was blown away by a focused blast of concussive wind. Murata leaped from his chair, whipping out two kunai and taking a defensive stance. Their opponent was obviously a highly skilled shinobi if that jutsu was anything to go by. A gray-cloaked figure strode confidently into the room before stopping in front of Murata. The sensei gaped in shock at the man before him. This was one of the forgotten legends of Konoha. What many people did not realize is that, during the time of the White Fang and the Sannin, many more excellent shinobi were on par or stronger than them, but were lost in favor of the limelight focused on the previously-stated legendary shinobi. However, Murata had studied under this powerful man when he was an Academy student…and he knew that he was in deep trouble. That was because before him stood the Bane of Kirigakure, Konoha's Vengeful Blade, and the first Rabbit Sage; Kohaku Genkotsu.

"Murata-kun," greeted the irate shinobi, his sharp gaze striking shame and fear into the instructor's heart. "I have been informed that you are knowingly impeding the progress of a young student who has tremendous potential for talent in the shinobi arts." The orange-haired warrior shifted to bring an awed Naruto into view. The chūnin's eyes immediately hardened at the sight of the young blonde. "That is exactly what I am talking about. I had brought a young instructor who would have filled in for you today, but he seems to have fainted." Murata gazed over the taller man's shoulder, wincing at the sight of Sarutobi Kasai prone on the ground. "Instead, I will have a shadow clone take over until your return." Another Genkotsu appeared next to the original, causing the classroom to erupt in a series of amazed noises. The man's lips twitched before he nudged a hesitant Naruto toward the seats, causing the boy to make his way to the top row begrudgingly. With that, the two shinobi adjourned to the hallway where Murata immediately erupted in irritation.

"Genkotsu-sensei, I understand that you are a prominent figure in the shinobi forces, but you cannot commandeer _my_ class!" he sputtered, horrified at Genkotsu's seeming lack of manners. The legendary shinobi merely crossed his arms and let the man continue to spew words in his face. "After all, I kicked out that…_thing_ to protect the children from potential corruption. You should know best of all the hurt the stupid thing brings, considering all the people you lost in the—Ack!" The teacher gagged as he was roughly grabbed by the throat and slammed against the hallway wall. Genkotsu's visage had changed from indifferent to incensed, his amber orbs burning with fiery wrath.

"You have no idea of what you speak, you simpleton," he murmured, his words carrying the weight of a thousand people shouting at once. "Of course we lost people in the attack. However, to abuse this innocent child in such a manner is wrong in every sense of the word. The Fourth Hokage was a genius in the sealing arts, meaning he made absolutely sure that the fox would be contained. And yet, you assist its potential escape by abusing the only person who can fully control it." Murata's eyes widened, nearly popping out of his skull. "If you poke a bear long enough, it will strike back…and hurt a lot more than whatever you did to it. So, why poke the bear at all?" The chūnin remained silent as he processed this revelation. It all made so much sense. That is why the demon never lashed out at mistreatment, why it always seemed to have genuine emotions and relationships (few they may be), and why it really did seem like a child. Murata fell to his knees as Genkotsu released him, tears welling in his eyes.

"I just wanted to help the future generations of Konoha…and I almost destroyed it," he sobbed, causing Genkotsu's expression to soften. "I acted like that to a child. I audibly supported the comments thrown against him and the sneers pointed towards him. What have I done?" Genkotsu knelt down next to the appalled man, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned his gaze to the right, Murata's following soon after. Blonde spikes rustled in the wind as Naruto slowly approached the two, cautious after the speech he had just heard.

"Sensei…I understand," forgave the small child, his feet shuffling uncomfortably. "You don't know me yet, but once you do, I promise that I will be your favoritest student in the whole 'cademy!" The little student's promise elicited a weary chuckle from the red-eyed instructor, who could only nod along with the proclamation. With his mission complete, Genkotsu rose to his feet, ruffled Naruto's hair, nodded proudly to Murata, and turned on his heel for the Head Instructor's office.

* * *

Shimura Juhi hurriedly tried to stuff his overflowing bags with the vital documents that he needed to hide. His Root guard had warned him of the incoming Genkotsu, and the balding man had sprung into action. He remembered the last Kohaku very well from their time together in the second war. When he was a wet-behind-the-ears genin, he had been pinned down by a contingent of Kiri shinobi after getting separated from his squad. Just as he was about to go kamikaze, a hoard of oddly dressed rabbits had bounded onto the field, signaling the arrival of their summoner. Even though it was five to one in Kiri's favor…they had no chance. While the summons provided support, Genkotsu proceeded to decimate the legions of shinobi, earning him his moniker of the Bane of Kirigakure. What made the legendary shinobi truly dangerous in this situation, though, was not his combat ability. It was his connection to the Shimura clan head, Danzō. The student of the Second Hokage had taken the Kohaku clan member as an apprentice, raising him up to the next leader of Root. However, after the group was formally disbanded by the Third Hokage prior to Minato's election as the Fourth, those plans had gone down the drain. Genkotsu was discreetly sent on a diplomatic assignment so as to keep him from interfering with Danzō's back-up plan to retake the village. Even after the diminishing of the Shimura clan after the Kyūbi's attack, they had set themselves up in key positions within the shinobi system to break down the Third's reinstation. And now, their worst potential enemy had returned, and he was unhappy.

"Juhi-san…I never knew you had academic aspirations," greeted a gravelly voice, causing the chūnin's limbs to lock up in terror as his six-man guard materialized and rushed the shinobi. Juhi turned, only to lose all control of his bowels as a concentrated blast of killing intent slammed into the Root agents, instantly knocking them out. Genkotsu ignored them completely as he strode towards the shivering and rancid Academy Head. "I remember when I first saved you from the Suna shinobi. You told me that you would fight for Konoha until your dying breath. And yet…I find you deliberately sabotaging the curriculum of the Academy. I can only assume that you are doing it on someone else's orders…someone I know very well." Juhi's tongue flicked out, knocking his false cyanide tooth loose. However, before his teeth could even graze the tablet, a piece of wire snapped against the tablet and reeled it back. Genkotsu tutted disapprovingly as he crushed the poison tablet. "Your skills had certainly diminished in your time here, Juhi-sensei. But for now, you are under arrest for subterfuge, sabotage, and association with a forbidden association. Come quietly, or I will use force." Juhi locked eyes with his former comrade, noting the slight hint of disappointment, hurt, and pity that bled through.

"For what it is worth…I truly did see you as my friend, Genkotsu-san," placated Juhi before a tipless tantō was summoned into his right hand. "But I did what I had to for the good of Konoha. Assassination Technique!" He leaped backward, chakra flying from his sword in a series of slashes as he tried to cover his escape. Genkotsu sped right into the storm of energy blades, using his wind-coated knives to deflect the attack, rage in his eyes. Juhi fled out the window, repelling the glass shards with a quick burst of chakra before speeding into the forest. The Anbu guarding the grounds merely watched with disinterest as Genkotsu chased after the headmaster, having already been informed of the situation. The Shimura clan member hurled himself through the trees, calling upon his forgotten reserves to speed his progress toward the main Root hideout. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing that Genkotsu was fading into the distance, a shocked look on his face. _'Heh. That'll teach him to underestimate me.'_ The aging warrior slowed to a halt before tapping his feet three times, chakra flowing from the soles into the hidden sealing matrix in the ground. He tightened his muscles as he fell through the gaping maw that slid open in the earth, rolling down the slick slope into a massive ground. Several children sparred viciously, their faces often blank and emotionless. A robed figure watched over them imperiously for a moment longer before turning to the new arrival.

"Juhi-kun, what is your report?" rasped the elderly man, his visible eye slit and barely visible in the low light. He eased himself over the ledge, landing with a grace belying his obvious age. Juhi always marveled at how well the Third Hokage and his rival had aged marvelously, at least in terms of skill. While their bodies were far past their prime, their skills had not otherwise diminished. The younger Shimura cleared his thoughts and stepped closer to his clan head. His mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. In fact, he was feeling tired…weak. Juhi's brow knit in confusion as Danzō leaped backward, eye wide, and Root agents poured out from the walls. He felt heat, ice…and blood. He looked down to find a gaping hole in his stomach, shards of kunai embedded in the mortal injury. He glanced over his shoulder to find Genkotsu waging war against the oncoming shinobi. Two massive hares stood by his sides, weaving in and out of tantō slashes while delivering devastating punches and kicks to the special Anbu forces.

"I am disappointed in you, Danzō-sensei!" chided Genkotsu, his eyes blazing furiously in the shadows as he melded with them. This was his domain now, and not even the Darkness of Shinobi could challenge him here. "You preach about the good of Konoha, and yet you undermine it. Do you know how many Root agents I had to capture, kill, and torture in Kumo and Suna? You threatened the Raikage to the point of no return. He was forced by the council to send a shinobi out to try and capture a Hyūga, all the while knowing that it was a ploy to remove him from office. It was only through my threats of Konoha's retaliation that they spared the poor man. You are always looking for war when there is none…and that is why you will fall!" Danzō flung himself to the floor as hundreds of wind-enhanced kunai screeched over his head, removing most of the remaining Root forces. He glanced over to the trainees, cursing under his breath as they engaged the far superior enemy.

"You have failed to realize the truth of the shinobi world, Genkotsu-kun," rebuked Danzō as he unclamped the gauntlet on his arm. It thudded against the concrete floor, resounding through the underground compound ominously. Genkotsu whirled around to face his former sensei, only to grit his teeth at the abomination before him. A gray, unnatural arm twitched as chakra returned to it, the face on the shoulder forever frozen in an indifferent expression as several Sharingan flew open. "I have crafted my body into the best possible weapon for Konoha. What you and Hiruzen fail to realize is that war is _always_ around the corner. Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!" The pale arm morphed into an array of wooden logs as they hurtled toward the bearded shinobi. Genkotsu leaped onto the beams with ease, preparing for a counterattack. He brought his hands up into a seal that was all too familiar to Danzō.

"I know war is always a possibility," Genkotsu agreed evenly as two hundred clones appeared around him instantly, their expressions stern as they leaped off the wood technique as a single unit. "But I also understand that we are not to create or encourage war. That is something you never quite understood, sensei. And for that…I do what I must." Danzō shivered at the cold look that his student leveled towards him, a sliver of pride shooting through him as he realized he was the one to craft this fine shinobi. While their methods differed, Konoha would be safe with Genkotsu's return and apparent reforms. "Shimura Danzō, you are under arrest for sabotage of the shinobi corps in all respects, the continuation of an illegal organization, attempted usurpation of the seat of Hokage, attempted disintegration of formal treaties, and various other forms of subterfuge. You are hereby sentenced to immediate capture, removal of all pertinent information, and subsequent public execution." The clones rushed at Danzō, who realized that not even he would be able to take on two hundred clones of varying levels of lethality. He activated Izanagi to allow some relief but quickly found that there was a side effect that neither he nor Orochimaru had ever considered. The number of attacks from the clones was sapping his chakra and those of the eyes far faster than normal, causing each one to close in a sixth of the time, meaning that he had only a minute to fend off this attack. Within that minute, his arms were lying limp on the ground, blood flowing freely from the left as he crouched before the veritable army of glaring Genkotsu.

"You…always made me proud," he admitted, glancing up to meet his student's shocked gaze. A rare smile blossomed on his wrinkled visage. "It seems the tree has become self-sufficient. The roots are no longer needed. Everything you wish to know…it sits in the place where the leaves fall and the seeds are planted." Genkotsu's eyes softened as he nodded, realizing what Danzō was about to do. The elderly shinobi ripped off his robes, revealing his bare chest. Thick black bars appeared on his torso as he held the ram sign. "Protect Konoha…for you are the only one who has what is needed. My legacy of war is tempered by the passiveness of the Hokage. I now understand why Tobirama-sensei chose Hiruzen instead of me. Goodbye, Genkotsu-kun. Reverse Four Symbols Sealing!" Danzō went limp as a humongous black sphere shot outwards, encapsulating the entire clone army. Within moments, the sphere contracted, pulling all of the chakra constructs into Danzō's body, leaving Genkotsu alone with a room full of corpses. The man huffed tiredly, shaking his head in sorrow.

"Danzō-sama?" called a tiny voice as two small figures shuffled into the room. They froze at the sight of the decimated forces, including their leader. They stared at the foreboding figure that slowly strode over to them, his knives cleaned from the blood that previously dripped from them. Genkotsu knelt down in front of the two, his face gentle. The two seemingly close children were very different besides their similarly pale skin. The white-haired one spoke up first. "Why? Danzō-sama was going to save Konoha. Why did you kill him?" The orangette sighed, rubbing at his eyes to clear away the emotions that threatened to overtake him.

"Sensei has entrusted me with the protection of Konoha, little one," he explained, getting wide-eyed stares from the two children. "The roots are no longer needed for the tree is self-sufficient." He gingerly picked the two up, placing them on his hips. "I was already going to return Konoha to its former glory, but it seems that I now have an even greater task before me." He glanced down to each of the awestruck children, a mischievous smirk cracking his weather face. "Come, little ones. It is time to remind the world why Konoha is the greatest. While there will be some major changes along the way, they are necessary and will stoke the forgotten Will of Fire once more." With that, the trio left the cavern, a single shadow clone staying behind to dispose of the evidence and collect the corpses of the two Shimura. Konoha was going to be reintroduced to the legend that was Kohaku Genkotsu, whether they liked it or not.

* * *

**Still a little bit of a quick intro, but that is more to set the tone for my character. Once again, I have an OC! Just so you all know, I have about 30 ideas for OC fanfics...and that's just for Naruto and One Piece. I still have other fandoms I want to delve into. Oh boy...what have I gotten myself into?**

**Anyways, just like before, I will be updating this consistently until I get back on track with "The Bartel Chronicles." After that, updating here will be sporadic at best until I finish up my three other stories. Check them out if you are interested in OCs and all that jazz. Until next time!**

**~Sir Zesto**


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